Page 129 of A Trial of Fate

Dax held out his left hand with mine, and I experienced the first kiss of raw magic caressing my skin. It felt like fireflies were dancing along my nerves as goosebumps formed over my skin. The ship moved forward through an invisible illusion, and it wasn’t until we passed through the outer barrier that I finally saw it.

The veil sparkled and shimmered in a white crystalline color that glimmered all around us. I took in a deep breath as my legs shook from the waves of pure, uninhibited emotions that crashed into me. I was overly ecstatic with glee and devoured by my thundering carnal hunger the next. I wasn’t able to properly ground myself, and my emotions were wildly trampling through every corner of my mind. The magic ignited my senses, like diving into an ice-cold pool of water. It swirled around us like a tornado, highlighting every touch, smell, and feeling I had ever had.

Through all this wonder and chaos, however, this magic somehow felt familiar. I couldn’t seem to put my finger on it, but I could have sworn I felt something like this before. Maybe in a dream? Or perhaps I was just feeling the effects of the overflow of power that was rolling through my body.

Dax gripped me tighter, and I could feel the thrum of his heart beating rapidly against me. The smell of his fresh winter mountain pine scent filled my senses, quickening my breathing and awakening sensations across every inch of my flesh that his arms wrapped around. Gods… this was amazing.Hefelt amazing. I was flying without ever having to leave the ground.

“Daxton,” I whispered his name with an intense need that I no longer wanted to hide. He dipped his head toward my ear, lightly brushing his beard against the soft curve of my face. My knees wobbled as a strong pulsing began thrumming between my thighs. He was so gods-damned desirable. I didn’t know if there would ever be another that could compare to him.

“Skylar.” The same heavy tone of lust thrummed in his voice as his breathing quickened to match mine.

A hungering need begging to be satisfied built inside me as I moved my hips back, rubbing my backside against him. I couldn’thelp the reaction my body was having, and I didn’t think Dax could either. The friction building between us was euphoric and almost unnaturally pleasing. Daxton could quickly become my addiction. I knew the dangers of this fact, but right now, I mentally told all my concerns to fuck off.

I released one of Dax’s hands and reached backward to grip the back of his neck. I threaded my fingers into his voluptuous shoulder-length hair, pulling him toward me as I melted further into his embrace. His free hand swooped under my arm to clutch my breast, causing me to moan in delight. The sound I made encouraged him to continue exploring the curves of my body, and Dax didn’t hesitate to do so. He swept my hair to the side, lightly brushing his lips over the sensitive skin on the base of my neck and up toward my earlobe.

“Daxton…” I shuddered with blissful delight.

My apex throbbed, dying to be devoured by his touch. The yearning I felt for Daxton made me crumble to my knees with just the whisper of a kiss. I was barely able to think through the intense waves of pleasure rolling through me. I turned around to face him and took his face between my hands.

Desire.That was the emotion I saw reflected in his heated gaze, and I knew mine were saying the same. I didn’t care how naive or foolish this might be. I was done holding back how I felt or what I wanted. I was about to enter the Inner Kingdom and compete in the trials that would likely lead to my death. No one had survived before me. So, with this knowledge, why was I hesitating? Why was I so scared?

Daxton swallowed. His delectable lips were only breaths away from mine as a heavy wave of arousal swirled through me. I wanted to kiss him. No, correction, I was dying to taste his lips on mine. I felt every fiber of my being lean toward him as my animal surged with a flush of power. It felt so right like I was exactly where I was meant to be, with him. With Daxton.

Suddenly, the air cleared around us as the magical veil disappeared. Still, I didn’t shift away or relinquish my hold on Daxton. My breath halted as I felt his arms resting around my hips, his hands tracing along my back before reaching up and brushing a strand of wind-blown hair from my face. We had successfully passed through the veil.

The intense hunger in Daxton’s eyes told me everything I needed to know. I was done second-guessing my feelings and denyingthe possibility that he felt anything for me. This was my moment to take the leap of faith, and I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by.

I boldly tugged on the back of Dax’s neck and brought his lips crashing down onto mine. His arms pulled me in close, our bodies pressing against each other with growing need. The kiss only intensified as I parted my lips and allowed his tongue to begin exploring the inside of my mouth. I moaned as he sucked in my bottom lip, nibbling on it before devouring my mouth once more with his. I was overwhelmed by the high induced by the veil combined with the sweet taste of Daxton’s kiss.

His hands groped my backside as I tightly encircled my arms around his neck, pushing my body against his and reveling in the seductive friction that was downright sinful. His kiss was everything I had ever dreamed it would be, and more, if that were possible. Ice trickled across my skin, sending sensual pulses of pleasure through my core. I moved my hand to his chest, admiring his perfectly sculpted pecs before reaching up to cup his bearded face in my hand.

A loud horn sounded across the deck, announcing a successful crossing of the veil. Our kiss stopped and we pulled our lips apart. I pressed my brow to his, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders, desperate to remain close. Dax didn’t seem to mind as his arms encircled my middle. I tilted my head to the side to lightly kiss his bearded cheek where I knew a dimple lay in wait. Slowly, my lips traced over his jaw, moving down to his neck before I nuzzled my head into the nook on his shoulder. Dax traced his hands up my back, entangling his fingers through my hair before grabbing my chin between his fingers and pulling my lips to his once more.

This kiss was different. It was tender and soft, reminding me of his gentler side that he had to hide from the rest of the world. This time, he opened his lips to let me taste him, and I could hear his moan of pleasure as my tongue entered. I was lost in a sea of pure bliss, and I knew this male would be my undoing.

I felt Daxton tense as he suddenly paused and pulled away from me. “Look at me, Skylar,” he commanded.

I strained to open my eyes, still lost in the trance of his kiss. The magic of the veil had made its way through our systems, and I no longer felt the same rush or high from the raw magic as I had before.

Fuck… I was panicking.Was he only kissing me because of the veil?I pulled away from him, placing my hands behind me on the railing, bracing for Dax’s confession of regret. I closed my eyes and lookedaway, embarrassed about how rashly I had just acted.

“Look at me, Spitfire,” Daxton said again with a commanding yet gentle voice.

I knew that I couldn’t hide from this. I needed to swallow my pride and accept what had just happened. So I bravely looked at him, but to my surprise, I didn’t see one ounce of regret on his face. In fact, I saw the opposite. He was relaxed with a confident, beaming smile of hope that I couldn’t break away from.

But then, it changed. “Skylar… I’m conflicted,” he said with a furrowed brow.

“Conflicted? How?” I asked as I watched his muscles flex along his chest and arms as he ran his finger through his free-flowing hair. The tattoo that decorated his shoulder peeked out from under his shirt, and I couldn’t help my wandering mind as it flashed to moments before this when his hands were all over me. Gods be damned, I could no longer deny my growing feelings for Daxton.

“Don’t do that,” Daxton said with a low growling sound deep in his throat. The sound of his growl was meant to intimidate me, but like always, it had the opposite effect. “Gods, we need to teach you how to shield yourself,” Dax said as he gripped the railing of the ship. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed he was holding himself back as well. “Your arousal is intoxicating, Spitfire, and I don’t know how to stop myself from…”

“From what, Dax?”Again… why is he conflicted?He never answered my question, and I was so tired of the secrets and avoidance. I wanted there to be no games between us. I could manage to play pretend with everyone else here, but I needed something to be authentic and real. I wanted Dax to be real.

“What’s going on, Daxton Aegaeon?” I arched my brows, using his full name to try and get his attention.

He took in a deep breath to try and steady himself. “I need to prepare you for the trials. Surviving should be your main focus. This,” he said, pointing between us, “this is a distraction. I cannot be a distraction for you. I would never forgive myself if … If I were the reason—”

“The reason?”

---